Still quite a short time ago, asbestos used to be admired for its great qualities such as resistance to heat, fire, chemicals or wear. All this made it a very popular substance.
For decades it was used in creating thousands of products, from building material to clothes and toys, until some 50 years ago when it became obvious that it was also poisonous. Asbestos poisoning – what is it actually? The blessings and curse of asbestos at the same time is its durability, which has been exploited in various industries. A human body has no means of disposing of asbestos, once it happens to be present.
If asbestos is part of some material, as long as it stays in it, it is harmless. What is dangerous for humans is breathing in the small needle-like asbestos fibers, when they become airborne. The trouble with asbestos poisoning is that its primary symptoms such as dry cough, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath are the same as the symptoms of a lot of less serious diseases. Unfortunately, asbestos poisoning has also quite a long latency period. Therefore the true reason of the patient’s problems is often found out too late.
Asbestos poisoning results in asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer, to introduce just the most common diseases. Asbestosis is caused by the lungs trying to dissolve the asbestos fibers by producing acid, scaring the tissue, causing it to harden. Finally, the person can breath only with problems. Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that affects the outer lung lining. There is presently no known cure for this disease. Mesothelioma can be caused also by only a brief, even accidental exposure to asbestos poisoning (unlike asbestosis). Asbestos-induced lung cancer has been responsible for more than 50 percent of all deaths caused by asbestos poisoning. Nevertheless, an early and correct diagnosis and prompt beginning of the treatment can bring the patient quite a lot of years of active life.
Asbestos in Canada Canada used to be one of the most important producers of asbestos in the world. The asbestos mines in Quebec are still functioning and Canada still supports asbestos use in less harmful variations. Until the 1980s, asbestos had been commonly used in all office buildings, public buildings and schools, usually for thermal, fire and sound insulation. The people who were most ‘at risk’ were mostly the workers installing asbestos materials, especially in cases where health and safety rules were ignored. Then the dust from the installation process could get into the air and people were breathing in the poisonous toxins. Using asbestos is still legal in Canada. There are nevertheless some improvements – Ontario has made using asbestos as insulation material banned back in 1973. Asbestos has been mainly removed from public buildings as a result of an effort by the local governments. There are also very strict guidelines for any work involving asbestos installation or removal.
Asbestos in Toronto Since 2007, Ontario has introduced severe regulations for asbestos used in buildings. Any suspicious substances deteriorating in a building has to be submitted by the owner for an examination. In case it is confirmed that asbestos is really present, it has to be removed immediatelly by a certified company. If it is found out that the deterioration may continue, the professionals will remove the whole affected area, again following severe safety regulations.
The most common use of asbestos in non-domestic buildings: – insulation on pipes – ceiling tiles – panels boards – cement panels – sprayed coatings on walls – asbestos ropes and cloth – textures coating The most common use of asbestos in residential homes in Toronto: – exterior surfaces: deck undersheeting, roof felt and shingles, window putty – all kinds of insulation – flooring: vinyl asbestos sheets, tiles and undersheeting – interior surface: sprayed-on acoustic ceilings, acoustic tiles – appliances: water heaters, range hoods, clothes dryers and dishwashers Asbestos is still not a solved problem. A year ago, there was the Sunrise Propane blast, as most of us can still recall. The blast hit 5 streets by asbestos debris and in the time following the blast, 3000 people had to leave their houses and the whole place had to be completely cleaned up. Local governments are still fighting with the danger posed by asbestos. Nevertheless, the range of this danger is very hard to quantify. One of the reasons why it is so hard is the fact that only 0.5% of asbestos in material is regarded as toxic.
Therefore, whenever you have even the smallest suspicion that your property may be affected, ask for a house inspection by a qualified professional (you can easily find list of companies doing it in Ontario area). Under no circumstances, you should try to deal with the suspect material yourself!
